Weekly Message/Devotion
September 23, 2019
Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
Sermon Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I stand before Your people, to deliver Your message. Though the words are mine and I prepared this message, I pray that this message is Your message in its entirety. I pray your blessing and anointing on the message, its delivery, its reception - and most of all, its application in our lives.” Amen
The reading Luke 16:19-31 – The Rich Man and Lazarus
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.” (v 10)
Luke is telling us that this rich man (a Pharisee as far as I can determine) was at the top of the elite. The color purple is a biblical designation of wealth, honor and royal majesty. Linen was a fabric made of woven flax fibers. The process in biblical times was costly and those who did adorn themselves in linen were either doing it up for very prestigious events such as an elaborate wedding or those among the wealthiest who simply lavished themselves with expensive trappings and jewelry.
Luke would have us envision this rich fellow as being at the top level of wealth and prestige. He would view himself as a person of entitlement.
Let me share what Charles W. Bray III, Deputy Director of the U.S. Internal Communication Agency wrote in the January 15, 1981 issue of Quote Magazine: “We have come to a time where we say, ‘You deserve a break today.’ Too many of us believe that. If we are poor, we deserve welfare; if we are rich, we deserve a tax break; if we are workers, we deserve better fringe benefits; if we own Chrysler, we deserve a bail-out; if we are a special interest, we deserve a special hearing.” It’s all about us and what WE think we DESERVE, isn’t it?
We have recently been talking about what we think we deserve, which can also be said what we think we are entitled to, right? Keep that thought!
Next Luke tells us all about Lazarus, a poor man, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table. (vs 20-21)
I venture to say that we regularly see that poor sickly man every day, standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign seeking any little handout; another digging through a dumpster behind a restaurant hoping to find something to kill the hunger pain. Without being too cynical, we also recognize that there are con men out begging because they know a percentage of folks will find pity on them and hand over something. Here we see contrasting pictures of that poor soul. One is poor and destitute and thus feels deserving or entitlement to alms. The con artist sees that sense of deserving or entitlement and realizes that there are soft hearted people who respond to that perceived need.
Unless I know differently, I am inclined to reach out to the needy and trust that in any event to err in favor of goodness surpasses the risk of being taken advantage of.
Back to the reading-
Lazarus and this rich man die. The angels came and took Lazarus to be with Abraham, the rich man was buried, and we soon read that he wound up in hell.
Before we go on, let’s get this straight. It is no sin to be rich. It is sinful to be arrogant and condescending, but Luke does not share specifically why this rich man went to hell. I don’t know of anything specific about being dirt poor that qualifies one for heaven and Luke doesn’t share that either. But it is a parable and the points to be made are coming right up.
We next see the rich man in hell, suffering agony from the heat and his parched throat crying out for something to quench it. He looks up and sees Abraham and Lazarus. He calls out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.”
Even in death, this arrogant guy continues to manifest an attitude of privilege. He might as well have said something like, “Father Abraham send that good for nothing bum Lazarus to serve me, even in hell.”
Of course, Abraham refuses to do any such thing and lets that they are separated by a chasm that prevents the crossing from one to the other.
So then rich guy asks Father Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers of this place of torment. Abraham has the perfect reply: “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.”
Can you not picture a modern version? “You have the Word of God at your fingertips; you have churches in virtually every neighborhood; you have evangelists and modern-day prophets – LISTEN TO THEM!”
The rich man is giving it his best shot, not wanting to give up and not wanting his brothers to end up in eternal flames. He says in verse 30: “No father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham doesn’t budge and says in verse 31: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
Talk about turning the tables! The richest of the rich living a very flamboyant lifestyle of luxury, totally ignores sickness and poverty at his very gate. Then a turn of events puts him in as impoverished a situation as can be imagined- the depths of hell! The one who was destitute in health and means was cleansed and made whole again in being raised to heaven. The biggest contrast easily missed is that the rich man had the means and the opportunity to bless the poor. The poor man now made whole and well may have a merciful heart to bless the man in hell, but he has NO MEANS to do so, even if he wanted to.
There comes a time, when we all reach the final fork in the road. One leads to eternal damnation and the other to eternal life. At that final crossroad, there is no turning back! Now is the time to heed the words of Moses, Abraham, John the Baptist, your preacher and Sunday School teacher. Abraham told the rich man that “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” (verse 31)
We know that because the very Son of God has risen from the dead and offered every man, woman and child the promise of salvation – eternal life in the heavens.
Jesus the Christ will save you, even at the final steps of life before you reach that fork in the road. He seeks your heart and your soul! Reach out to Him today – right now.
Join me in this prayer, if you are ready to accept Him:
“Dearest Jesus, you are God’s only Son and You died on that cross for me and to pay the sin debt for my sins and misdeeds. Forgive me Lord for those sins and come into my heart and my life, that I might know the peace and love that comes only from You. Jesus, You died and went to hell for me for three days and now You are in heaven waiting for me. Thank You Lord Jesus for saving me. Amen”
I want to close with the following lyrics to a verse in an old camp meeting song from days gone by. There are many versions, but this is the one that I remember.
Sinner man, sinner man at the gates of hell, gates of hell,
Sinner man sinner man at the gates of hell
The gates flew open and the sinner man fell
Sinner man, sinner man thru those gates he fell!
Let us now go forth to LOVE and SERVE God by loving and serving each other – ALL OTHERS!
Let us pray.
I humbly and sincerely ask for your prayers!
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Note: It is the practice of this church to preach straight from the bible. We follow the lectionary assigned readings from which the sermon/messages are derived.
